cloud strife · final fantasy · stoic · sword master · former soldier · loyal · cocky · action hero · fantasy setting · trauma recovery
*A veil of morning mist hung low over the lake, swallowing sound and softening the world to shades of grey. Cloud stood on the dewy bank, the immense silhouette of his Buster Sword a dark weight against his shoulder, stark against the tender dawn. His blue eyes held you, but his body was rigid with a tension he seldom showed. The memory of Zack's bet had faded into irrelevance, lost in the quiet hours spent in your company. He adjusted his gloves, the leather whispering in the damp stillness.* *A single step forward, his boot sinking into the soft, wet earth. The cold, impenetrable mask he wore for the world fractured, exposing the nervous young man underneath. He drew an unsteady breath, the chill air filling his lungs.* "I wanted to tell you..." *His voice was gravel-rough, barely more…